Thousands braved the chill for downtown’s outdoor party, but others packed Wealthy Theatre and The Intersection for lively shows by Starlight Six, Greensky Bluegrass and The Crane Wives. (Photos, video)
Tuxedo-Grass: Greensky Bluegrass welcomed 2014 in jam-happy style. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Singer Rachael Davis may have put it best amid the Starlight Six’s ebulliently engrossing three-set New Year’s Eve bash at Wealthy Theatre on Tuesday night, a rootsy, uplifting show that included an “Exile on Wealthy Street” tribute to The Rolling Stones.
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The Starlight Six at Wealthy Theatre. (Photo/John Sinkevics)
“This is a pretty good way to end the year and a pretty good way to start one,” the grinning Michigan native-turned-Nashville-ite said of the all-star band’s fourth annual affair at the Grand Rapids theater.
The same certainly could be said for the sold-out show across town at The Intersection downtown where an elbow-to-elbow throng celebrated the arrival of 2014 with exuberant performances by Grand Rapids folk-rock band The Crane Wives and Kalamazoo bluegrass phenomenon Greensky Bluegrass, with both bands absolutely dressed to the nines for the special New Year’s Eve concert.
So while thousands ignored temperatures in the teens to cheer on emerging national acts Iyaz, Love and Theft, Ryan Cabrera, Nick Hissom and a Journey tribute playing the HOT FM 105.3 street party at Rosa Parks Circle (which included a ball drop at midnight), equally avid audiences reveled in rootsier displays of music by some of West Michigan’s most talented, most beloved acts.
The Starlight Six’s tradition of playing New Year’s Eve at Wealthy Theatre has become an ever more impressive display of original music by the Earthwork Music collective artists as well as a one-night-only take on the music of others — in this year’s case, the Rolling Stones, featuring classics such as “Paint it Black,” “Beast of Burden,” “Tumbling Dice” and perhaps best of all, “Gimme Shelter.”
Wealthy Theatre was jammied with happy revelers. (Photo/Local Spins)
The band — Davis, Seth Bernard, May Erlewine, Dominic John Davis (of Jack White’s band), Joshua Davis, Mike Shimmin and keyboard player Mike Lynch — turned that iconic tune into the triumphant, soulful highlight of the evening, propelled by Rachael Davis’ soaring vocals.
Along the way, the Starlight Six brought out special guests, including singers Jen Sygit and Laura Bates, drummer Geoff Lewis and singer-guitarist Zach Bunce, to sweeten the musical pot and give the evening an extra shot of heartwarming camaraderie — all of which drew an enthused response from the sellout crowd which eventually gathered close to the stage to dance and toast the new year.
“I’m feelin’ the love tonight, I’m feelin’ the friendship,” gushed Bernard, who thanked WYCE-FM, Erin Wilson and the Wealthy Theatre staff for supporting what he called a “special night” of Michigan music.
Greensky Bluegrass and The Crane Wives created a special night of their own at The Intersection, as demonstrated in the Local Spins photo gallery by Anna Sink. Check out that here, along with video highlights from the Starlight Six performance at Wealthy Theatre.
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
